A powerful union of dancers and taiko drums
A dynamic celebration of life in Tohoku

Morioka Sansa Odori Festival

Morioka Sansa Odori Festival

Every year, thousands of visitors from Japan and around the world flock to Morioka City’s vibrant Sansa Odori Festival. One of the Five Great Festivals of Tohoku, Sansa Odori hosts over 10,000 dancers and taiko drummers, and holds the Guinness Record for the world’s largest taiko parade.

On the final night of the four-day festival, dazzling fireworks signal the start of the dance parade. Led by the year’s festival queen, Miss Sansa Odori, a seemingly endless parade of colorfully-clad groups perform the traditional dance, accompanied by an army of taiko drummers and cheered by the throngs of supporters lining the city streets. The dance carries on late into the evening, building to a climatic finale with the formation of large dance circles that give visitors the chance to join in the fun.

Photo: Coustesy of Morioka Camber of Commerce and Industry

Morioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry

1km parade route at Chuo-dori Street in front of Iwate Prefectural Government Building